The Boston Bruins have spent the first stretch of the 2026-27 season looking every bit like a team that’s found its groove early. At 9-2-1, they’re sitting on top of the Atlantic Division and have already pushed past preseason favorites like the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens.
Now comes a bigger test. The Bruins head into Raleigh to face the Carolina Hurricanes, the best team in the Eastern Conference so far at 9-2-2.
Carolina has been rolling for a while, too, going 25-4-3 in its last 32 games when you include its 16-3 playoff run. In short, this is a heavyweight matchup.
Boston is rolling in with the same lineup it used last time out. With David Pastrnak and JJ Peterka producing at the top of the forward group, there’s no need for the Bruins to shake things up.
The real story, though, has been the youth infusion. Fraser Minten has 5 goals and 5 assists for 10 points in 12 games, good for a tie for second on the team in scoring.
James Hagens, just 19 years old, has chipped in 4 goals and 5 assists for 9 points in 12 games. Matthew Poitras has been even more eye-catching in his own way, posting 4 goals and 3 assists in 9 games while mostly centering the fourth line.
Jeremy Swayman gets the start in net. He’s been arguably the best goalie in the NHL this season after finishing as a Vezina Finalist last year.
Puck drop is set for just after 8 o’clock, with the game airing nationally on ESPN.
Bruins Confirmed Lineup:
Forwards:
JJ Peterka - Pavel Zacha - David Pastrnak
Marat Khusnutdinov - Fraser Minten - Morgan Geekie
Casey Mittelstadt - Elias Lindholm - James Hagens
Tanner Jeannot - Matthew Poitras - Mark Kastelic
Defense:
Hampus Lindholm - Charlie McAvoy
Nikita Zadorov - Will Borgen
Frederic Brunet - Mason Lohrei
Starting Goalie:
Jeremy Swayman
In Other News...
Will Borgen Is Giving The Bruins Something They Desperately Needed
When the Bruins sent backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo to the Rangers for Will Borgen on July 1, it looked like the kind of trade that could quietly reshape the back end more than the headlines suggested. Boston needed sturdier blue-line play, and with Charlie McAvoy out, the margin for error on defense has been thinner than usual. Borgen has stepped into that gap quickly, giving the Bruins the steadier presence they were looking for in the early part of the season.
Through his first 12 games in Boston, Borgen has made a noticeable impact in ways that do not always jump out on a box score. He has fit in cleanly, helped calm things down in the defensive zone and earned the trust of Marco Sturm, who has liked what he has seen from the veteran defensemans game. For a Bruins team trying to keep its structure intact, that kind of addition matters. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Brown Debate Is Back Despite Boston's Blowout Win
Even after a 134-99 rout of the Bulls, the conversation around the Celtics was not just about the score. Payton Pritchards strong night and the steady work from Bostons rotation helped the Celtics keep control throughout, while the postgame focus also included younger pieces such as Hugo Gonzalez and what their minutes can mean as the season moves along.
For all the on-court depth, the old discussion about Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown surfaced again in the background, with the familiar questions about how the two fit and how outside chatter continues to follow Brown. The latest round of debate came with the usual mix of trade speculation and reactions from people around the situation, ensuring that even a lopsided win did not fully quiet one of Bostons most persistent storylines. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins May Be Rediscovering An Identity Fans Have Missed
Tanner Jeannot has already started giving the Bruins a little more of the edge their fans have been waiting to see again. During a recent game at TD Garden, his scrap with San Joses Zack Ostapchuk helped jolt the building and fit neatly into the kind of hard-nosed tone Boston has been trying to reclaim, with Jeannot making clear afterward that his focus was on bringing energy for everyone around him.
It also helps that Jeannot has settled into a line with Mark Kastelic and Matt Poitras, giving the Bruins a look that feels built for forechecking, physicality and momentum-shifting shifts. If Boston is going to keep leaning into that identity, nights like this suggest Jeannot could be right in the middle of it, even if the full payoff of that edge is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]